Welcome To Your Inner Life

[fade]You are on a journey of becoming the full expression of yourself. While living in a way that honors who you are, life can feel meaningful, satisfying and joyful. However, you may feel held back, trapped, as if you always need to please others, or are repeatedly ending up in the same unsatisfying place. If any of these experiences resonate with you and you’re feeling depressed or anxious, this is a good time to enlist the help of a psychoanalyst -- a guide to your emotional life. A psychoanalyst knows about psychological development, how the mind works, how and why people stop themselves from moving forward, and how to listen without judgement.[/fade]

About Dr. Susan Fine

[fade]I am a New York State licensed psychologist and a psychoanalyst. I am on the faculty of the Institute for Psychoanalytic Education (IPE) -- affiliated with NYU School of Medicine, where I completed training in psychoanalysis with adults (2016) and psychoanalytic psychotherapy with children (2005). My doctoral degree in psychology is from Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology – Yeshiva University (1999). I have a Master’s Degree in Special Education from New York University (1993). I am inspired by the natural force in people to grow, and fascinated by the conscious and unconscious ways in which psychological struggles block this process. [/fade]

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My Philosophy

The Power of the Unconscious

[fade]We operate based on two maps – one that is known and the other unknown. When you feel confused by a decision you made or if you’re realizing your life isn’t going the way you want it to, it means that the two maps have different courses and you’re following the one you can’t see. For example, a child might develop an unhealthy way of handling difficult feelings inorder to get along with family members. If a person’s childhood strategy continues as the default way of handling difficult feelings, it can contribute to relationship problems in adulthood. A psychoanalyst is experienced at seeing and understanding these old, unconscious ways of relating, and is good at explaining them. When you know your old ways of handling difficult feelings, you’re in a position to choose a more adaptive and gratifying way of being in relationships. [/fade]

Linking and Unlinking

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An important part of assembling a puzzle is recognizing which pieces don’t belong together and joining the correct ones. Your living biography works the same way. When gaps in a person’s understanding of themselves and others gets filled in with assumptions, or colored by hurt, anger, shame or misunderstanding, it’s like joining the wrong puzzle pieces together. While we get clear about your struggles, think about how they developed, and help you handle emotional symptoms, you will also learn to see yourself with less erroneous thinking and greater truth. Knowing yourself gives you the possibility of making more satisfying choices, leading to a fulfilling life.

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Communication and Connection

[fade]The most important person to be able to understand, describe and to have a comfortable, trusting relationship with is yourself. When you know yourself, you can tell the significant others in your life who you are, what makes you happy, angry or hurt in a way that’s clear and honest. The capacity to describe your inner experience gives you the possibility of feeling understood and known by others. [/fade]

Working Collaboratively

[fade]I have professional training and experience, and you are the expert on your life. [/fade]

Intuition

[fade]This wisdom resides in you but can get dismissed as unreliable or unimportant. Psychotherapy can help you tune in and trust this important internal navigation system.[/fade]

Self-Mastery, Emotional Resilience, Confidence, Self-Esteem

[fade]I would like each person I work with to become their own expert guide to their inner life. [/fade]

The difference between a Psychotherapist, a Psychologist, and a Psychoanalyst

[fade]“Psychotherapist” is a professional who uses talk therapy to help people with difficult emotional experiences. There are many kinds of psychotherapists and their number of years in academic learning, clinical supervision and experience with personal treatment varies. A psychologist has a doctoral degree in psychology, and usually focuses on what is in a person’s awareness. Psychoanalysts have been through an extensive training experience which includes their own in-depth psychological exploration (psychoanalysis). A psychoanalyst helps people both with what’s in their awareness and what’s out of their awareness (the unconscious aspect of the mind). If you’ve tried various interventions, and feel no or only mild improvement with the problem, then the trouble may be due to some fear or conflict that’s out of your awareness[/fade]

[fade]A Metaphor of the Mind

Think of your mind as like the ocean. Just below the surface, you can see fish and coral, and in the depths exists a whole world that you cannot see. Most people spend their time on the surface, sailing towards goals in work, love and play. If you get curious about why you think and feel the way you do, it’s like snorkeling. (Psychotherapy is like guided snorkeling.) Some people want to immerse themselves in observation and learning, so they go deep and stay for longer periods of time, like a scuba diver. (Psychoanalysis is like guided scuba diving.)[/fade]